Military Engineering Branch

The official lineage of the Military Engineering Branch.

Badge

Badge

Description

Within a wreath of maple leaves Or a torteaux charged in the centre with a beaver Or and edged by a riband Azure which is itself edged and inscribed with the words "ENGINEERS . GENIE . CANADA" Or below upon a scroll Azure edged and inscribed with the word "UBIQUE" Or the whole ensigned by the Royal Crown proper.

Symbolism

The beaver has long been used by engineers as it is an animal noted for its skill in building. "ENGINEERS . GENIE . CANADA" is a form of the branch title and "UBIQUE" is the motto of the branch.

Motto

UBIQUE (Everywhere)

March

Wings

Alliance

British Army

Corps of royal Engineers

Branch camp flag

Branch camp flag

Battle honours

Honorary Distinction

The motto "UBIQUE" was granted as an honorary distinction to 'take the place of all past and future battle honours and distinctions gained in the field'.Footnote 1

The First World War

FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1917-18 "Footnote 15

Perpetuations

Number 2 Construction Battalion, CEF

Notes:

The Battle Honours Committee for the Great War did not have time to conduct an analysis of each battalion or unit that served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). Consequently, honours were only awarded to units perpetuated by the Militia. No. 2 Construction Battalion was raised in Canada under the Infantry List, and should have qualified for Honours as a ‘combatant’ battalion, regardless of the fact that they operated as a non-combatant unit in France in 1917 and 1918.

No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force served with the Canadian Forestry Corps in France. In this role, its duties were most closely associated with military engineers. Although the Canadian Forestry Corps was not part of the Engineer Corps of the time, The Branch of Canadian Military Engineers and the Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers has sought ever since the inter-war period to honour the history and heritage of the Canadian Forestry Corps. No. 2 Construction Battalion is most closely aligned with the present-day Branch of Canadian Military Engineers, which have the honour UBIQUE, and its status as a Battle Honour was confirmed by Her Majesty in 1994.

CANFORGEN 79/22 confirmed that No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force be awarded the Battle Honour “FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1917-18” and be perpetuated by 4 Engineer Support Regiment.

Home Station

Gagetown, New Brunswick

Lineage

The Military Engineering Branch originated on 1 July 1903, when the 'Canadian Engineers Corps' of the Permanent Active Militia was authorized to be formed.Footnote 2 It was redesignated 'The Royal Canadian Engineers' on 1 February 1904.Footnote 3 Non Permanent Active Militia engineer companies had existed at least as early as 1860,Footnote 4 and they were collectively referred to as 'Canadian Engineers' from 1 August 1904.Footnote 5 The Permanent component was redesignated 'The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers';Footnote 6 and the Non Permanent component 'The Corps of Canadian Engineers' on 1 March 1932.Footnote 7 The Non Permanent component was redesignated, and the entire corps designated as 'The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers' on 29 April 1936.Footnote 8 It was redesignated 'The Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers' on 29 September 1952.Footnote 9 The Corps was amalgamated after Unification with Royal Canadian Air Force construction engineer personnel to form the 'Military Engineering Branch' on 27 August 1971.Footnote 12

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